Thermaltake Frio Extreme Cooler Review

1. Introduction2. Thermaltake Frio Extreme Cooler (Bundle)3. Thermaltake Frio Extreme Cooler 4. Installing the Thermaltake Frio Extreme5. Thermaltake Frio Extreme Cooler (Super High Res Gallery)6. Testing Methodology and Performance7. Acoustics Performance8. Closing Thoughts9. View All Pages

Thermaltake are clearly going after the enthusiast performance crown with the release of their latest Frio Extreme cooler.

We noticed that this cooler managed to perform a little better than the Phanteks PH-TC14PE although the variables were so minor that we needed a diode to measure it accurately. Within a single degree Celsius was the final outcome. Technically however, on paper they have claimed the top spot.

I have previously mentioned some concerns with the Frio range of coolers, primarily some minor, yet sloppy engineering issues. Thermaltake have rectified this with the Extreme, it is actually one of the highest quality crafted heatsinks on the market. They haven't compromised in any regard and the mirror shine of the nickel plated copper base is an indication that they aren't messing around.

The Phanteks PH-TC14PE has already bested the Noctua NH D14, however the fans are much louder which ruined the experience a little for me. The Thermaltake Frio Extreme suffers from the same syndrome, especially when the fan controller is used to crank the fans to the limit. The Noctua NH D14 by comparison is always fairly quiet. The previous class leader can not be ignored in this regard.

Playing devils advocate, we aren't sure that the audience considering one of these coolers will be that concerned with a little extra fan noise, especially when the fans can be slowed down to compensate. Performance will obviously suffer a little, especially if running at the highest overclocked speeds is a prerequisite.

Pricing in the United Kingdom is around £75 inc vat, with Amazon weighing in with the best price, at £72.99 inc vat. This is around £2 more expensive than the Phanteks PH-TC14PE and £5 more expensive than the Noctua NH D14 from Amazon. It is expensive, but if you want the best aircooler on the market we doubt you will be disappointed.

Pros:

• One of the best air coolers on the market.
• Fantastic build quality.
• Dual fans supplied.
• dual fan controller supplied.
• thermal paste included.

Cons:

• It isn't cheap.
• Stiff competition at this price.
• Fans aren't the quietest.

Kitguru says: A very high performing cooler which will certainly satisfy the overclocking audience.

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